Marketers at mid-sized companies work in a world of constraints. They have less budget and smaller teams compared to marketers at large companies, where the budget for a single project can exceed a mid-sized marketer’s entire annual budget. Marketers at mid-sized companies hold responsibility for a wide range of functions, from lead generation to analytics, from brand management to marketing strategy. This infographic tells the story of how marketing at mid-sized companies is more complex than ever.

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05
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Marketing at Mid-Sized Companies:
More Complex Than Ever
Highlights from a 2014 DNN-sponsored survey of
marketers at mid-sized companies.
01 Marketers at Mid-Sized Companies
MUST DELIVER THE GOODS
87%Prioritize
acquiring
NEWCUSTOMERS
86%Prioritize
increasing
CUSTOMER
RETENTION
Marketers at mid-sized companies have a
clear focus on driving revenue in 2014
of mid-sized marketers
functions
MANAGE 5 OR MORE
From CRM to marketing automation
to social media marketing
Marketers at Mid-Sized Companies
PERFORM A JUGGLING ACT
03
Marketers at
Mid-Sized Companies
WEAR MANY HATS
of marketers deploy five or more
technology solutions.
56% of marketers manage five or more
marketing technology vendors.
51%
MANAGING MULTIPLE VENDORS
Has Become a Challenge
Marketers at mid-sized companies must manage campaigns, functions,
teams and vendors. Managing multiple vendor relationships adds time
and complexity to the marketer’s job.
of marketers believe that despite all the technology solutions
available, marketing has become more challenging.
http://www.dnnsoftware.com
HIRE WISELY.
Facing a wide range of expectations and functional needs, marketers at mid-sized companies
are stretched thin. Few organizations or team members have the luxury of focusing all their
efforts on a single technology or discipline. This makes it imperative for companies to hire
versatile, adaptable, well-rounded team members, with a wide range of skills and a genuine
passion for learning and adopting new technologies, disciplines, and practices.
EMPHASIZE STRATEGY FIRST, EXECUTION SECOND.
With the majority of mid-sized marketers managing five or more technology vendors, and 15%
juggling 10 or more, it seems obvious that organizations are scrambling to catch up with online
platforms by putting execution ahead of strategy. The impulse is understandable. But it’s a
mistake. The time invested to map out a sound strategy map pays huge dividends, pointing the
way to the most valuable market opportunities and the integrated technology solutions
required to take full advantage of them.
DEPLOY INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY SUITES.
Mid-sized marketers identify integration of marketing technology solutions as a high priority.
While no single vendor can provide 100% of an organization’s marketing technology, a suite of
solutions lessens the need for integration. It might even mitigate the intense pressure many
organizations feel to deploy a “mini-CIO” to make sense of their available technology resources.
With multiple technologies, multiple vendors
and a need for each system to talk to the other...
marketers identify the need for a
“mini CIO” to help them integrate
the technology they’re using.
69%
Because they’re responsible
for numerous functions,
marketers at mid-sized
companies must also
manage multiple marketing
technology solutions and
vendors.
of marketers report that it’s
CHALLENGING
to manage the
of marketing
technology vendors
GROWING
NUMBER
WANTED: A MINI-CIO
6 in 10
06
End of story.
MARKETING IS COMPLEX.
70%
In short, marketing is
MORE COMPLEX THAN EVER.
So Here’s What to Do About It